Button



R; M. DE VIGNIER. BUTTON. APPLICATION HLED FEB. 20, 1918. v

1 ,333 ,013. Patented Mar. 9,1920.

i ROBERT M. nn VIGNI'ER, OF HOLLIS, NEW COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK.

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW BUTTON.

specification ot Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application led February 20, 1918.' Serial No. 218,882.

To all mhom it may com-ew:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. Da VIGNIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollis. in the county of Queens, State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of which the following is a full. clear, concise,' and exact description.

This invention relates to buttons and more particularly to Operating buttons for electrical switching apparatus.

Since various portions of the electrical switching apparatus carry electrical curi'ents, it is essential to insulate the exposed portions of the Operating buttons thereof in order to properly protect the user. Buttons of this character, es ecially those associated with telephone switc ing apparatus,A are subjected to such -severe service conditions that buttons composed entirely of insulating material do not possess the wearing qualities necessary to satisfactorily meet the. service requirements.

- It is also very desirable, especially in cases where a plurality of such Operating buttons is provided' for the use of one operator, to provide indicating means whereby the buttons associated with certain classes of service may be quickly and readily distinguished and selected. p

It is the object of this invention to' provide ,a simple and inexpensive unitary protected Jbutton having a body portion of insulating material and which may be provided with a permanent distinguishing indication.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a unitary button is obtained by molding a body portion of insulating material within, and integrally` associated 40 with, a metallic proteeting` casing' having an opening therein coincident with the operating surface of the button and surrounded by a projecting hollow rim, such opening being closed by an indicating plate with a transparent cover plate and the interior of the hollow rim being substantially filled by projecting portions of the two plates embeddcd in the material forming the body portion.

The projecting rim `portion serves to prevent slippage of the operatoifs finger as well as to protect the' button during servicel It is thought that the invention may be clearly understood from the following' specification and the annexedV drawing, in which button is to w the interior Figure. 1 is a plan of the assembled button; F lg. 2 1s a sectional elevation thereof; Fig. 3 shows perspectives of the indicating plate and Its protecting cover plate, while Fig. 4 is an elevation of the assembled button.

Referring to the drawings, the body portion 1, which may be of any suitable insulating material. capable of being molded, 'such as a shellac compound, is protected by a metalllc casing 2 having a projecting hollow rlm portion 3 surrounding an aperture in the casing which coincides with the operatmg surface of the button. The side-wall of the casing 2 is provided with a plurality of apertures 4, which are filled with the insulating material in the process of molding. thereby serving to integrally unite the casmg with the body portion. The indicating plate or member 5 may be of any suitable `material, of any desired color, and bearing any required designating Character for indicatlng the particular service with which the be associated, while the protectmg cover plate 6 maybe of any suitable transparent material possessing the requisite wearing qualities, such as celluloid. Plates 5 and 6, are each provided with a plurality of similar projecting portions 7 and 8 respectively, which portions are forced into of the rim 3 during the molding process. The internally threaded member 9 is molded in the body portion to provide suitable means for removably attaching the button to the Operating member of the associated switching apparatus.

In assembling the button. the plates G and 5, the greater diameter of each of which. including its respective project-mg portions` is approximately the same as that of the interior of the casing, are placed in position with the'portions 7 and 8 occupying any positions relative to each other. and the resultant partial assembly is then placed in a suitable mold which also contains the attaching member 9.

Sufiicient material is then. introduced into the casing to completely fill the unoccupied portions thereof including he apertures 4. Due to the pressure employed :w molding the button, the portions 7 and 8 f' the plates 5 and 6 respectively are forced into the in- 'terior of the rim 3 occupying approximately lthe-position shown in Fig. 2. rThese portions are of such relative proportions that they do the insulatin not, however,

has been described as for electrical -switchin apJparatus, 1t is evident that it is also app ica e to many other kinds of apparatus subjected to severe service conditions and requirlng individual designatlons for the Operating buttons, such as typewriters, cash registers,-etc.

What` is claimed is:

1. A molded button comprising a body portion of insulating material, a protect- 1n casing having anv aperture therein, and in icating means closing and havin pro- ]'ecting portions extending beyon the a erture, such portions being embedded in tge body portion to secure the indicating means in a fixed position.

2. A molded button comprising a body portion of insulating material, a protecting metallic casing havin a transparent cover p ate closing, and having projecting portions extending beyond, such a erture, and anindicating plate adaptedto ie against the cover plate and having projecting portions positioned in any relation to the projecting ortions thereof, said projecting portions o the indicating and cover plates v portions to maintain the said plates in fixed relation.

- 3. A molded button comprising a body an aperture therein,

being embedded in said`body` inturned to form a hollow rim surrounding an opening of reduced diameter, a transarent cover plate closing such opening and a'ving a projecting portion embeddedin the insulating materia filling the rim, and

an indicating plate placed against the cover plate and having projecting portions embedded inv the insulating material in the rim, said ortions of said plates coperating with t e insulating material in the rim to maintain the lates in fixed relation.

4. A molded ut'ton comprising a -protectin metallic cylindrical casing having the e ge int'urned at one end to form a hollow rim surrounding an opening of reduced diameter, a transparent cover plate closing, and having projecting portions extending beyond, such opening, an i dicatin plate placed against the cover plate and aving corresponding project-ing portions' placed in interlocking relation with 'the p'rojecting portions thereof, and a body portionvof lastic insulating materialA 'substantially fi ling the casing and the rim thereof, said material engaging and integrally uniting the projectortions with the casing, thereby maintalnlng said portions in interlocking relation.

In witness whereof, I hereunto Subscribe my name` this 13th day of February A. D., 1918.

i ROBERT M. DE VIGNIER. 

